Frequently Asked Questions

Clicking on a link will scroll the page to the relevant question.

Who and what is the Safety Camera Partnership?

This is a Partnership of public sector agencies who are involved and/or have a direct interest in casualty reduction and road safety. The purpose of the Partnership is for those agencies to work together in order to achieve their shared aims, as it is more efficient and effective to do this together than separately. You can find out more about the Partnership on this website.

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Why are you doing this?

Central Government has set targets for the reduction of road casualties to be achieved by the year 2010. There are many issues underlying the local and national problem of road collisions, and the various agencies are involved in a wide ranging package of measures to help prevent and reduce collisions and casualties. There is a general view that best long-term benefits will be achieved by changing the way we think about driving and the decisions we make when behind the wheel. Education and training are highly important, but enforcement also has a valuable role to play in reinforcing those messages. There is a direct link between speeds travelled at and both the risk of a collision occurring and its consequences, which together can be reduced by bringing speeds down to more appropriate levels and keeping them there. The intention is to reduce the risk of collisions occurring in the first place, and also to reduce the severity of those which do occur.

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Is it working?

Yes; although much more remains to be done it is working very well. If you follow the link to the local annual review publications you will see that whilst the long-term overall trends throughout the whole West Mercia roads network continue to fall, at the Partnership's sites the reductions are very much greater. You can also gain a national perspective by following the link to the independent four year evaluation of the national safety camera programme.

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Speeding isn't a really dangerous matter or serious offence so why is so much attention being given to it?

It's understandable why, from a driver's perspective, travelling faster than we should may not seem to be particularly dangerous or serious; but most of us think differently when we're outside the car watching other traffic go by. It's interesting to note that the Department for Transport's (DfT) 'Think! Road Safety' website tells us that a pedestrian struck at 35mph rather than 30 mph is twice as likely to die from injuries suffered.

The House of Commons Transport Committee has considered this issue on several occasions during recent years. Their October 2004 report covering a study of traffic and its enforcement says: "....drivers who receive automatic penalties for speeding have not committed a minor transgression but have significantly exceeded the speed limit. For example, the enforcement threshold means they will have been travelling at least 35mph in a 30mph zone. This difference is not trivial; it means the difference between life and death for many of those involved in collisions."

In their report 'Roads Policing and Technology; Getting the right balance' published October 2006, the Committee said: "Even driving a few miles per hour over the speed limit makes a big difference in a collision with a pedestrian or cyclist: the chances of survival halve between collisions at 30mph and 35mph".

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Speeding isn't the only problem. Why aren't you giving attention to other problems as well?

Speeding is not the only problem, and other agencies are also engaged in a range of strategies and activities to address broader issues. There is room for debate about the extent to which misuse of speed causes and contributes to roads collisions, the outcome of research depending upon the particular samples studied and approaches taken to the issue. What is beyond any reasonable or reasoned argument is that speeding is a major cause of collisions, and one which can and needs to be addressed. The Partnership has been established to work with the participating agencies by delivering a service designed and prescribed by Central Government under the national safety camera programme. It is doing the job it was set up to do.

Some red traffic lights are also enforced by safety cameras. In addition, from time to time the Partnership has dealt with problems of crossing double white lines; driving licence, insurance and MoT offences; disqualified driving; conspiracies and attempts to pervert the course of justice; driving when not in proper control; plus providing evidence and intelligence to assist Police Forces in major crime enquiries, including murder, robbery, kidnap, burglary and theft.

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Who decides where enforcement will be carried out and how?

The bulk of the Partnership's enforcement operations is carried out at core sites approved by the Department for Transport (DfT)having met criteria concerning collisions, speeds and other relevant practical features. The full site selection criteria can be studied by following the link to the DfT handbook of rules and guidelines for the national safety camera programme. Selection arrangements have developed over the past few years, but the consistent general principle for approved core sites is that there must have been collisions where people have been killed or injured, coupled with high level abuse of the local speed limit.
The Partnership's analyst/data manager is continuously studying the collisions record in discussion with the five highway authorities, identifying sites which are the highest priorities in terms of collisions connected to speed limit abuse. Where it is agreed that safety camera enforcement is appropriate, after full investigation this is proposed to the local Partnership Board and, if agreed, submitted to DfT for approval. Site specific approval is given by the National Programme Board.

The scheme allows 15% of available enforcement time to be used at sites which are not DfT approved core sites but where there are problems and concern on the part of the Partnership and/or local community. This is known as the 15% tolerance for exceptional sites; no detailed central site selection criteria are prescribed for them. In this Partnership area there is a robust and strictly applied policy whereby sites are only adopted as exceptional sites where there are serious problems with collisions and speeds which don't quite meet the core sites' criteria, and where there is concern on the part of the local community and/or the Partnership. Proposed 15% exceptional sites are submitted to the local Partnership Board for approval before enforcement is carried out.

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I saw enforcement being carried out somewhere which isn't shown on your website as one of your enforcement sites.

Are you sure it was a Safety Camera Partnership (SCP) vehicle, and are you sure that enforcement was being carried out? Separate to the Partnership, and outside the scope of the national safety camera programme, the Police are free to carry out enforcement wherever and whenever they feel it to be appropriate, it is a matter for their operational discretion; and they are not bound by any of the rules and guidelines set by the DfT handbook for this scheme, including site selection and conspicuity/visibility of enforcement operations.

If this is a matter of concern to you please do let us know & we will look into it. But be aware that other roadside enforcement and surveying work by other agencies has in the past been mistaken for SCP operations, and despite their clear makings and appearance, it is not uncommon for other vehicles to be mistaken for SCP enforcement vans.

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I know a place where there ought to be a camera. What should I do?

Safety cameras are not deployed only on the basis of a real or perceived speeding problem. The first step in site selection is to establish whether there have been collisions in which people were killed or injured, and the scale and nature of any speed problem is secondary. By all means contact the Safety Camera Partnership if you would like us to look into a location you are concerned about, and we will let you know what we find. But also bear in mind that the Police and local highway authorities are the lead agencies for broad road safety matters, and they may be the best people to talk to in the first instance.

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What rules and guidelines do you have to follow?

First and foremost, enforcement has to be carried out in accordance with all the various statutory requirements and evidential points to be proved in the event of a Court hearing. Equipment must be operated in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, taking account of guidelines in the Code of Practice for Operational Use of Road Policing Enforcement Technology compiled by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

In addition to this, to participate in the national safety camera programme and recover allowable costs from Central Government, Safety Camera Partnerships must conform to rules and take account of guidelines in the DfT handbook for the scheme. The handbook sets out requirements for matters including site selection, visibility and conspicuity of enforcement, governance, finance procedures, and other relevant topics. It is important to understand, however, that these are not statutory requirements affecting any proceedings which might follow for individual offences; they are standards for Partnerships' participation in the scheme which qualify the agencies to recover their allowable costs. The document makes it clear in its preliminary statement that failure by a Partnership to follow the scheme's rules does not provide any mitigation nor defence for alleged offences. Failure to observe the rules does not prevent action being taken against a driver but it is likely to affect a Partnership in recovery of costs, or in extreme cases being excluded from the scheme.

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What speed enforcement thresholds do you apply?

Police Forces and Safety Camera Partnerships (SCP) do not openly discuss details of their enforcement thresholds as this is considered not to be in the public interest. An offence is committed when a speed limit is exceeded by any margin, but for practical purposes it is appropriate to allow some flexibility. The risk of disclosing speed enforcement thresholds is that some drivers may choose to exceed speed limits by driving up to the thresholds, rather than keeping to the speed limits. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has issued national guidelines upon speed enforcement thresholds; these recommend that other than in exceptional circumstances action is not taken against drivers unless their speed is at least 10% + 2mph above the relevant speed limit. This is the level at which action is recommended to commence, not the speed to be exceeded. In this area, both the SCP and West Mercia Constabulary apply the ACPO guidelines, this being the Chief Constable's policy.

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How is the Partnership funded?

Central Government covers all the allowable direct costs of the Partnership's operations, subject to the scheme's rules and guidelines. Partnerships are required to submit an operational case to the Department for Transport (DfT) for approval. DfT refunds the costs to Partnerships quarterly in arrears through the lead local authority (in this case Worcestershire County Council). In order to do this Central Government chooses to draw upon the fixed penalties paid into the Courts as a result of the local Partnership's enforcement operations. Any financial surpluses remain with HM Treasury, and any deficits are required to be covered by the local Partnership agencies.

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Are you a commercial organisation, and do you get paid by results?

No, this is not a commercial organisation but a Partnership of public sector agencies, and there is no payment on results. All core staff working in the Partnership's offices are employed by West Mercia Police Authority; the Partnership also funds additional staff in the local HM Courts Service (HMCS) Fixed Penalty Centre, with a further small allocation to highway authorities for engineers engaged in work connected with the Partnership's operations. The agencies involved in the Partnership receive from Central Government (through DfT and the Partnership's treasurer - Worcestershire County Council's Finance Director) the direct costs of carrying out the work, subject to conventional audits and in accordance with an operational case agreed in advance and the scheme's rules and guidelines.

For Partnerships to be fully recompensed and achieve full cost recovery it is necessary for fines revenue arising from their work to cover expenditure. In this respect it is of no consequence whether an individual enforcement check results in the detection of one single offence or many. The Partnership will have been fully successful when there are no collisions and no speeding offences at any of its sites, and that is the aim towards which we are working.

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Where does the money go?

As with all fines paid into any Courts, all fixed penalties paid to HM Courts Service are transferred immediately and in their entirety to the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Later, allowable and qualifying costs are refunded to Partnerships through DfT, any surplus remaining with HM Treasury. Take no notice of any negative publicity or comment which suggests that Safety Camera Partnerships "keep" the fines; that is not how it works.

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What happens if you reduce speeds so much that there isn't enough money paid in through fines?

We have said from the outset that we are in business to put ourselves out of business; the financial arrangements for this scheme mean that as speeds and offending levels fall, availability of funding also falls. Should costs exceed fines revenue paid into the Courts as a result of the Partnership's operations, agencies in the Partnership will be expected to make up the deficit. The time will inevitably come that the scheme becomes unsustainable. Central Government have recognised this, and from 1 April 2007 the national safety camera programme will no longer exist, being replaced by new arrangements.

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What new arrangements come into place on 1 April 2007?

The link between fines revenue and funding by cost recovery through the national safety camera programme will be broken, and continuing operations will be funded by new additional road safety grants to local highway authorities under their local transport plans. Central Government is encouraging the setting-up of new broader road safety partnerships, and discussions on those arrangements are advancing.

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What camera systems do you use?

Five different types of enforcement equipment are deployed by this Partnership, three fixed and two mobile. The three fixed camera systems all deploy 35mm wet film technology, the great majority being Gatso type 24 with AUS camera. A Truvelo Combi Smc device is in operation at Telford, and a Traffiphot S at Hereford. The reason for having three different types is simply that there was not enough time to complete the extensive contracts advertising procedures ready for commencement of operations in April 2003. As an interim measure, suppliers of the three Home Office Approved systems at that time were each given equal opportunity to supply one system.

Initially, all mobile enforcement operations were carried out with Speedmaster DS3/Autovision 3 systems, mainly utilising existing Police enforcement sites which met the scheme's site selection criteria. The Partnership is now also using LTI 20:20 laser equipment.

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How do speed cameras work?

Gatso cameras measure speed using radar technology. There is also an independent secondary check facility to confirm there has been no undue external influence upon the speed reading. This utilises marks on the road surface which are a nominal 2 metres apart, and two images are taken at half-second intervals of the rear of offending vehicles after they have passed the camera installation

Truvelo devices utilise sensors buried in the road surface, and the equipment calculates speeds from the signals it receives from them. This device takes a single image of the front of approaching offending vehicles, having calculated when their front wheels will be upon the smaller array of secondary check marks. Provided those wheels are on the marks the confirmation is complete.

Traffiphot devices also utilise sensors buried in the road surface. Two images are taken, again at half-second intervals, of the rear of offending vehicles after they have passed the installation, and the independent secondary check is carried out using marks a nominal 1 metre apart on the road surface.

In all cases, speed information and other relevant data is displayed upon the evidential images.

Speedmaster DS3/Autovision3 mobile systems rely upon sensors buried in the road surface, connected to a speed measuring device and video camera installed in the enforcement vehicle. That system makes a continuous recording in real time, capturing through the enforcement vehicle's windscreen the front of approaching vehicles using a video camera installed in front of the rear view mirror. For Partnership operations in this area, there is also an independent secondary check facility using four small marks on the road surface and the known time lapse between video frames.

LTI 20:20 mobile devices utilise laser technology. These devices are primarily operated from within the enforcement vehicle, mounted upon a tripod. The vehicles carrying them have been commercially specialist converted for the purpose, with rear opening windows through which the device is normally operated. One of those devices is also fitted to a purpose-converted motorcycle. The system makes a continuous real-time video recording. The enforcement officer activates the equipment when a vehicle is in view which he/she is of the opinion is exceeding the speed limit; this captures the speed reading and other relevant information upon an evidential image.

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How do red light cameras work?

A red light camera is only triggered if a vehicle crosses the lights at red, and not if the lights are at amber. There are two sensors on the road, either side of the 'stop' line. The camera is triggered if a wheel goes over the first sensor at least 0.8 of a second after the lights have turned to red and it goes on to cross over the second sensor. Two pictures are taken, also showing the light(s) at red, and the vehicle's speed is measured so it can be shown that an offending vehicle did not inadvertently cross just over the line and stop before reaching the junction's central area but continued to travel through the junction.

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Do you use any average speed enforcement systems?

No average speed measuring and enforcement systems are used by the Safety Camera Partnership in this area.

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How can you be certain that the camera's evidence is accurate and reliable?

First and foremost, all devices used are statutorily Home Office Approved for the purpose. This is a demanding process, first entailing extensive user operational trials on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in different Police Force and Safety Camera Partnership areas. If successfully completed, the submitted equipment is then subject to rigorous scientific examination by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch.

There is a requirement for all devices to be recalibrated by or on behalf of the manufacturer at least once a year. Some systems also require recalibration of the site. Devices are also recalibrated if substantial work has been carried out making this necessary.

Other checking arrangements vary with the type of equipment, checks being carried out daily or more frequently as appropriate. Checks are also carried out on each occasion a fixed camera is loaded or unloaded. Some devices (in particular fixed systems designated as 'automatic operation') have independent secondary check facilities. Others (in particular mobile systems designated as 'attended actively operated') confirm the opinion of a trained operator that the vehicle was exceeding the speed limit.

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How can I find out more about local and national safety camera operations?

This Partnership's published annual reviews give a good local summary and outline, and can be accessed on this website, or hard copies requested via 'contact us'. For a broad and detailed national perspective, the University College London/PA Consulting independent Four Year Evaluation of the National Safety Camera Programme is available on the DfT website and a link is available through this website.

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What further material can I have access to, and does the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoI) apply to you?

The Safety Camera Partnership (SCP) is not a public authority for FoI purposes, but staff are employed by agencies which are, and so the parent agencies' policies and procedures apply. Where appropriate, FoI requests received in the Partnership's offices are actioned here; but in some cases it is necessary to refer requests to the participating agencies when the information is held directly by them.

All information held by SCP is subject to the Act's provisions upon disclosure, and the Partnership seeks to be as open and helpful as reasonably possible. Requests are commonly received for information upon where and how we work, and we do all we reasonably can to provide the information and answer the questions.

If you haven't yet come across it, you can find quite a lot of information about our operations in this website, and in particular the sites where we work. If, as you go through this, further questions occur to you, please use 'contact us' to let us know. We'll do what we can to answer, and if the question is one we think will be of interest to others we'll consider including it in these FAQs at the next revision.

Requests are received from time to time for detailed extracts from the collisions record, and we will always on request release the information relevant to initial selection of a site and reviews of its progress. West Mercia Constabulary owns and holds the definitive collisions record, and they have well established procedures for public release of information for which a fee is payable. When people request more detailed information than we have readily to hand we refer them to West Mercia Constabulary. Local highway authorities can also help as they too hold the data and have arrangements for releasing it, again normally upon payment of a fee.

It is important to appreciate that the Act provides a range of exemptions, and it is sometimes necessary to refuse to disclose information which is believed to be exempt and not in the public interest to disclose. For example, we will not release any information which might indicate the frequency or levels of enforcement activity at individual sites, which includes any site-specific offence figures. We do not release specific information upon speed enforcement thresholds but are happy to confirm that we apply the national guidelines. We also cannot release any information which is protected by other legislation, the Data Protection Act 1998 in particular. And we will also normally decline requests to provide information which is already in the public domain and reasonably accessible elsewhere.

It is very important to understand that, in general terms, FoI does not overturn other established methods for the release of information, and this is specially relevant to individual cases where offences are alleged and statutory notices have been served. Provisions for the disclosure of evidential material in criminal cases are contained in the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, whereby evidence is disclosable when a Court hearing has been requested and a 'not guilty' plea entered. This process is overseen by the Crown Prosecution Service, and requires defendants or their representatives to make requests at the appropriate time. Similarly, the FoI Act itself includes specific exemptions applicable to material which is held for criminal investigations or criminal proceedings.

The Act does not require information to be supplied in any particular format which an enquirer may prefer. We will try to meet any special requests, taking account of the time and costs involved and what would appear to be reasonable, but it will often be necessary for information to be supplied in the format in which it is held. For example, calibration certificates are only held as paper hard copies, their primary purpose being production as evidence before a Court and they are only admissible in that format.

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I've received a notice of intended prosecution for a safety camera offence. What do I have to do now?

The purpose of the notice of intended prosecution is to make you aware of the incident in good time and give you opportunity to consider the matter and, if necessary, prepare a defence.

What the notices also include is an entirely separate statutory requirement on behalf of the Chief Constable for a vehicle's registered keeper, or any other person to whom the notice is sent, to provide information which will assist identification of the driver. This is a statutory duty; to be accepted the reply is required to be within prescribed timescales and in the form in which it was requested, including signature. It is very important that you reply to that requirement as soon as you can, even if you want to give a bit more time to thinking the speed allegation through. If you don't reply to that requirement in the way and time requested, any issues regarding the speed allegation will be no longer relevant and you are at risk of proceedings for an offence of failing to supply the information.

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Who will I be dealing with?

Individual offences are not dealt with in the Safety Camera Partnership offices but by West Mercia Constabulary's Central Ticket Office at the PO Box 25 Droitwich WR9 8UF address given in the notices. It is very important that any correspondence on the matter is conducted directly with them. It is important for this office not to become involved in discussions with individuals over their cases, so please do not use this website's 'contact us' facility if you want help or information connected to a current case.

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I want to phone them but can't find a number.

These matters are administered within the criminal justice system, which means it is possible there will be a Court hearing. For sound evidential reasons it is in everyone's best interests for discussions and representations to be in writing, so everything is properly documented and there is less likelihood of misunderstanding. There are also problems with data protection, as details of individual cases are confidential and it is not possible to be certain that conversation involving protected information is taking place with a person entitled to have that information. It is for those reasons that no phone number is provided for the Central Ticket Office, and contact with them should be by letter.

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Are there facilities for me to e-mail them?

No, there are no facilities for e-mailing West Mercia Constabulary Central Ticket Office about individual cases.

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Can I appeal against the notice?

Conditional offers of fixed penalty are a statutory procedure with no prescribed administrative system for appeals. What you are entitled to do is decline to accept the notice and request a hearing before a Court, when the evidence can be challenged and tested. You are free to write to the Central Ticket Office to express any mitigation or possible defences which you feel should be taken into account, but it is important to understand that payment is rarely excused, and only in the most exceptional circumstances.

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I didn't receive the notice within 14 days of the incident. Why is this and what can I do about it?

Initial notices are served on the registered keeper at the registered address within 14 days of the incident. If that was not done it could be a good defence. However, when this question is asked it usually transpires that such a notice was served in a way which satisfies the legal requirements, and that subsequent notices were later served on nominated drivers; that is standard and proper procedure. The 14 day service period can also be set aside if the recipient has taken some actions which prevented its service. If a registered keeper changes address but doesn't inform DVLA, service is good if the notice was served at the last known address.

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What happens if I don't reply to the notices?

These things don't go away if ignored, and failures to respond will be followed up by further correspondence and Police enquiries. Where there is no reply to a notice, enquires will be made to confirm the address and a summons will be served. In this area we have a dedicated enquiry team of Police Constables and Police staff who look into cases where there are difficulties with identification of a driver. There are national reciprocal arrangements for other Police Forces and Safety Camera Partnerships to carry out enquiries referred to them from elsewhere.

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I was driving, but aren't my human rights infringed by being required to give that information?

This is a statutory duty under section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which is subject to limited exceptions. For full details you are advised to refer to the legislation and/or seek independent qualified specialist legal advice. There have been some challenges on human rights grounds, but it has been consistently held that human rights are not infringed when requests are made under a statutory power. Cases against the UK Government on this point are currently being considered by the European Court of Human Rights and the outcome is awaited. However, even should the Court find against this process it will not affect past cases but require the Government to reconsider its statutory procedures.

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I've been informed that action is being taken against me for failing to supply information under section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Why is this?

The Police routinely take action against people who do not supply the requested information in the specified way and timescales, and signed. It is a defence to this charge if you did not know who the driver was and could not find out with reasonable diligence. Higher duties rest upon corporate bodies, and individuals can be charged as well as the organisation. It is common for these matters to be put before a Court in order to establish whether or not reasonable diligence has been shown; but it will be in your best interests to write to the Central Ticket Office fully outlining in detail why you cannot supply the information and the steps you have taken. The law on this is not simple and straightforward, so the best course of action is to take independent qualified specialist legal advice.

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I don't believe that I was speeding. What further information can I have?

The basic principle of the conditional offer of fixed penalty procedure is to give drivers a choice to have the matter dealt with in a relatively quick and straightforward way if they are willing to accept the basic evidence provided in the notices. If that evidence and the conditional offer are not accepted, the matter reverts to the conventional arrangements for a Court hearing.

As outlined above, formal disclosure of evidential material is reserved for cases where a Court hearing has been requested and a 'not guilty' plea entered. Evidential information and material is not provided to help make a decision as to whether or not to accept a conditional offer of fixed penalty.

But it is understood that some people in some cases would like to know and see more, and it is therefore this Partnership's practice - as a concession and in a spirit of helpfulness - to provide on request to those entitled, copies of the evidential images and copies of the device and/or site calibration certificate(s) relevant to their particular case. This should be requested in writing from the Central Ticket Office.

Some people ask to view the original recorded material, and facilities are available to drivers and registered keepers for this at our main operating base in Worcester. If you wish to do this, e-mail us through 'contact us' on this website and an appointment will be arranged.

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I don't believe I was speeding. How can I challenge this?

You are fully entitled to request a Court hearing and challenge the evidence before the Court. But you should expect evidence produced by a correctly used Home Office Approved device to be accepted by a Court unless there is clear evidence that the particular device used at that particular time was not reliable. Evidence of a general nature produced from such unprovable sources as newspaper or magazine articles is not admissible as evidence before a Court, and will normally be excluded.

The best course of action is to take independent qualified specialist legal advice.

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I didn't know I was speeding because my speedometer isn't accurate.

This is understandable but it is not a defence to a speeding charge and is unlikely to be accepted as mitigation. It is common for speedometers to read a little fast. All users of vehicles are under a duty to ensure the speedometer is in good working order. Additionally, whilst Type Approval Regulations do allow some flexibility for speedometers to read a little fast, no degree of under-reading at all is permitted. So if you think your speedometer may be indicating a slower than actual speed, it is important to have this checked out with your main dealer without delay - for safety's sake but also to avoid added risk of proceedings for a further offence of defective speedometer.

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I don't know who the driver was. What should I do now?

If you genuinely do not know and cannot find out who was driving, it is in your best interests to write to the Central Ticket Office giving a full detailed outline of why you cannot give the information and what you have done to try to find out. It is normal for such matters to be put before a Court for trial and, in general terms, you would have to satisfy the Court that you had acted with reasonable diligence. There are higher expectations of and duties upon corporate bodies.

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I don't know who the driver was but I want to get this dealt with and will sign to say it was me. Is that OK?

You must not do that under any circumstances. If you genuinely do not know who the driver was you should write to the West Mercia Constabulary Central Ticket Office and give a full explanation of why that is so. Anyone who signs to accept responsibility for being the driver when they know they were not is at risk of proceedings for attempting or conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, very serious offences often punished by imprisonment.

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I was speeding but there were good reasons for it that I want taken into account. What can I do?

You are at liberty to write the Central Ticket Office to explain any relevant circumstances which you feel should be taken into account. However, it is important to understand that payment is rarely excused, and only in the most exceptional circumstances. If payment is not excused you are entitled to request a Court hearing where that information can be considered by the Magistrates. But bear in mind that the Magistrates have power to apply a different fine to the fixed penalty, and may also add costs.

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I have a good driving record. Is this taken into account?

Previous good driving records are commendable and it is understandable why people are keen to preserve them. However, this will not affect any decision as to the action appropriate to be taken.

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I don't believe that the DfT rules and guidelines for your scheme were being followed in my case. What can I do about this?

A Partnership's failure to observe the scheme's rules and guidelines is not a defence to nor mitigation for an alleged offence. However, Partnerships must follow the rules and take account of the guidelines if they wish to participate in the national safety camera programme and recover their costs from Central Government. If you have good reason to believe there is a problem, the best thing to do in the first instance is to contact the local Partnership/Project Manager, who may not be aware of the problem, or may be aware and have taken some action to resolve it. If you are not satisfied with the outcome you can refer the matter to the National Safety Camera Programme Office in the Department for Transport at Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR.

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I've heard that in some areas it's possible to attend a course and pay a fee instead of taking the penalty points or paying the fixed penalty. Does that apply in your area?

Ways in which offences are dealt with is an independent matter for Police Forces and not Safety Camera Partnerships. Speed awareness schemes are required to be entirely separate from the national safety camera programme. They are operating in some areas of the country where drivers - usually first time offenders - who exceed speed limits by small margins and in limited circumstances are offered the opportunity of paying a fee to attend a course. National discussions have been taking place between the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Department for Transport to devise a national scheme administered by a DVLA database. Those facilities are not yet in place. West Mercia Constabulary doesn't offer that option at this time, but it is expected that consideration will be given to it at some time in the future. Whilst there is an expressed national intention for such schemes to be established, some concerns do remain that there is no clear evidence of the scheme's benefits for casualty reduction, and also the principle of retraining those who might represent a lower risk rather than higher speed offenders who might represent a higher risk.

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How long will the penalty points on my licence remain valid?

For 'totting-up' purposes on your licence, penalty points are effective for 3 years from the date of the offence. On application and payment of a fee, DVLA will issue a replacement driving licence without the points after a further year has passed.

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How many points can I have on my licence before being disqualified?

It is usual for a driver to be disqualified when there are 12 points, and offences cannot be dealt with by fixed penalty if there is a risk of this. If you have up to and including 8 points on your licence before the processing of this new offence, you can forward your driving licence to the Courts' Fixed Penalty Centre (HMCS) with your signed driver's statement and payment. If you have more than 8 points you are at risk of being disqualified and the matter will have to be dealt with by Court hearing.

If you have passed your first driving test in the last 2 years and accrue 6 penalty points, DVLA will revoke your full licence and replace it with a provisional. You will then have to re-take your driving test.

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My old address is on my driving licence. What should I do?

You are under a duty to inform DVLA of a change of address and submit your licence for updating. But payment can be accepted in those circumstances, so send it in to the Courts' Fixed Penalty Centre if that's how you want the matter to be dealt with. DVLA will update the details and your licence will be returned to you. If you do not have a new-style photo-card licence and its paper counterpart, you will receive an application form for one.

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I would like to improve my driving skills. How can I do this?

A good starting point would be to make enquiries with your local highway authority road safety office. In this area they are listed below or you could also contact LARSOA, the national road safety organisation that represents Road Safety Officers (RSOs) employed in local government across the UK.

LARSOA Website

Local Road Safety Officers:

Herefordshire Council
Ann Mann, Road Safety Officer, Herefordshire council, Transportation, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE
Tel: 01432 260947 Fax: 01432 383031
amann@herefordshire.gov.uk

Shropshire County Council
Steve Chadwick, Senior Road Safety Officer, Shropshire County Council,Road Safety Section, Environment Dept, 107 Longden Road, Shrewsbury SY3 9DS
Tel: 01743 253260 Fax: 01743 253267

Borough of Telford & Wrekin
Amanda Roberts FIRSO, Road Safety Manager, Borough of Telford & Wrekin, Environment & Economy, Darby House, P O Box 212, Darby House, TELFORD, Shropshire TF3 4LB
Tel: 01952 202185 Fax: 01952 200232

Worcestershire County Council
Roger Woodward, MBE, FIRSO, County Road Safety Officer, Worcestershire County Council, Sustainable Transport Unit - Road Safety, County Hall, Spetchley Road, WORCESTER WR5 2NP
Tel: 01905 766757 Fax: 01905 766756

You might also want to consider taking an advanced driving/riding test, and there are local groups who would be very pleased to help you. Below is a list of the local 'Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM)' and 'Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Advanced Drivers' Association (RoADA)' that you can find in the West Mercia region:

IAM Worcestershire Group (cars)
http://www.worcadvmot10.fsnet.co.uk

IAM Shropshire Group
http://www.advancedmotorists.org

IAM Kidderminster Group (cars)
http://www.k-a-m.org.uk

IAM Redditch Group (cars & motorcycles)
http://www.redditcham.org.uk

IAM Worcestershire Motorcyclists
http://www.wamart.org.uk

RoADA Greater Hereford
http://roada.org.uk/groups/westmidlands/greater_hereford.htm


RoADA Shropshire & Powys
http://www.roadashropshireandpowys.co.uk


RoADA West Midlands
http://rospawmg.org.uk


RoADA West Midlands Motorcyclists
http://www.roada.org.uk/groups/westmidlands/wm_motorcyclists.htm

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